John Carmack, the man behind seminal first person shooters Doom and Quake, is set to be hoisted aloft at the upcoming 2010 Game Developers Choice Awards. Carmack will be presented with nothing less than a Lifetime Achievement award, joining the esteemed ranks of Hideo Kojima, Sid Meier, Shigeru Miyamoto, and Will Wright in receiving top honors from his fellow game developers on March 11th, 2010.

As a largely self-taught technology purist, Carmack has devoted himself to pushing the limits of hardware and software. He's helped to set the technical and gameplay standard for modern 3D gaming - and in the process, created some of the most popular video game franchises in history, which is why he's being honored by the Game Developers Choice Awards this year.

"It's no exaggeration to say that John Carmack and id Software have had a monumental influence on all modern 3D games, but especially the first-person shooter genre," says Meggan Scavio, Event Director of GDC. "John is one of the key figures in the history of video games, and we're delighted to be giving him the Lifetime Achievement award this year."

id Software's co-founder and tinkerer of homemade rocket ships is recognized for over 20 years of technical contributions, all sparked by his innovations in first person shooting gameplay. Doom and Quake pioneered real-time 3D graphics and network multiplayer, for example.